Shanghai marches to a distinctly modern tune. Buildings are tall and shiny, locals tote the latest in designer gear, mobile devices are an entrenched addiction and sleek, new-model cars clog the roads. The city has witnessed incredible development; as recently as 1990...

There are a few fail-safe ways to ignite trans-Tasman friction. Mention the Bledisloe Cup (go on, we dare you). Claim the pavlova (our money’s on Team Kiwi!). Try to “give back” Russell Crowe (no really, you can have him). Mimic accents (we all know which is worse)...

Sure, there are fine-dining options and flash restaurants galore in Shanghai but sometimes the street lures, with it’s cheap, tasty bites. The range of Shanghai street foods is staggering- from the crack of dawn to well into the night, you’ll find carts and canteens turning out...

Considered the food capital of Malaysia, and identified by no less than Forbes and CNN Traveler as one of the best food cities in the world, there’s no shortage of documentation on where, when and what to eat while you’re here...

Take around 700,000 people, throw in a steamy, equatorial climate and one of Asia’s largest Buddhist temples. Add some breathtaking coastal beauty, a UNESCO-listed capital, a compelling mash-up of cultures, languages and religions...

Austin is barbecue central. And by ‘barbecue’, we’re talking about the succulent, fall-apart-tender Southern American kind, cooked slowly in offset smokers fuelled by post oak wood. Not the Antipodean...

When asked what we eat our standard reply is “everything but insects” so we’re quite ok with the concept of snake satay. Until we see the snake, that is; a cranky cobra in this instance, about to loose it’s hissing head in the interests of our...

We’re with Joy Ngeuamboupha, co-owner of Tamarind Restaurant and Cooking School in the northern Laos town of Luang Prabang. It’s early in the morning and we’re all dealing with throbbing heads and confused spatial...

Istanbul. Countless, effusive words have been written about this glorious city, many lapsing into the usual (but entirely forgivable) clichés about it being a city where Europe meets Asia, ancient empires collide with modern...

For the street-food lover, Hanoi is paradise. The city turned 1,000 years old in 2012 so it’s had an awfully long time to perfect a huge repertoire of curbside eats. Literally, street food is everywhere...

As one of the culinary epicenters of the world, Bangkok presents a confusion of choice for the hungry visitor. From upscale restaurants, casual diners and entire streets that transform into make-shift kitchens on a daily basis, knowing where to start is a trick...

Singapore offers sophisticated dining options up the wazoo. For many a foodie, however, the beating heart of the Lion City’s culinary scene is found not in the perfectly pressed linen and polished service of its upscale eateries...

Suzhou is connected to Shanghai by a 200km/h-plus fast train ride that takes just 24 minutes. Yes, that’s right; the city that’s famed worldwide for classical Chinese gardens is now practically a suburb of Shanghai. As such it makes for a perfect day...

More or less smack in the middle of the part of Xi’an that's ringed by a brooding ancient brick wall, the entrance to the city’s Muslim Quarter is marked by a grand, fourteenth century Bell Tower. Past here, and the strip of nearby shops...

For the China wary, or even the China weary, Hangzhou, a mere 45 minutes speed-train ride from Shanghai, is perfect. With a population hovering around 9 million, it’s no small-fry. Yet it possesses the rarest of qualities amongst large Chinese cities...